Blood Brothers
by Drive all night
Summary: Time for some Bromance...Atwater focussed but with his sidekick Ruzek & a little Halstead on the side. Follows the hapless men of IU as they try to work out the women in their lives, a bit of love, a bit of drama and a few laughs along the way. #Ruzwater #Ruzstead #Halwater
1. Be My Wingman

_**This was written around the end of season 4, so right around the time Burgess was on leave and Lindsay took off.**_

Molly's was a little noisier than usual. It had its regular mix of fire-fighters, cops, the odd paramedic and then a few groups of regular people all out enjoying a night on the town. Not that they knew they were regular people, actually they had no idea who they were and they didn't really care. They'd wrapped a case and were enjoying their usual celebratory drink. It was rarely a celebration though; it was more often a drink to say _'thank fuck we caught that asshole.'_

"Why don't you go talk to them?" Adam nodded in the direction of the bar. Kevin was obviously distracted by the view and barely listening to whatever Adam was yabbering on about. Not that he was under any illusion that it was interesting; he was just filling in the silences because that's what he did, he talked about shit; sport, cars, beer, food, TV shows, music, he just talked.

"Outta my league." He popped the toothpick back in his mouth and shrugged a little, dragging his attention momentarily away from the bar and back to his mate.

"Bullshit. I'd do you if I was a chick." Adam took another swig of his beer. It was going down particularly well tonight, the case had been tough. It was just a run of the mill case but physically it had been tough, they'd spent a few nights cramped into vans on surveillance, they'd climbed through windows, busted doors and chased idiots up and down Chicago for days. They were knackered, or at least Adam was. Kev seemed to have all get up and go of an energiser bunny and Adam was exhausted just watching him and the sooner Atwater moved off Adam could call it a night the better.

"Lucky for me, I wouldn't do you."

"Good to know." He flat out laughed before waving his hand in the general direction of the bar and the two lovely ladies that Kev was trying to flirt with across a crowded bar. "I know you think you've got sexy eyes and all but from this distance it looks like you've got a nervous tick. Go make your moves Kev."

"Well there are two of 'em. We should both go."

Adam shook his head. He really didn't talk much about what was going on in his personal life at the moment and he'd been like that for a while now. Although they had some idea and no matter how often they asked, he was keeping everything close to his chest, he'd been burnt before by wearing his heart on his sleeve. Once bitten twice shy, or so the saying goes. "I'm not third wheeling."

"It's not third wheeling, it's being a good wingman."

"I am no wingman." He patted his mate on the back. "Go forth and prosper young man."

Atwater took a breath, took a long swig of his beer and sauntered over to the table with the two young ladies. Confidence was not something that Kevin usually lacked. He certainly hadn't been hiding behind the door when it was being handed out but lately he was going through a rough patch. He'd yet to meet someone who didn't run a mile when they found out that he was a cop and looking after two teenage kids. He wasn't exactly what you'd call a catch and after being whacked on the nose a few times lately like a puppy he was content to stick close to home. Problem was Adam was having none of it anymore, he was sick of babysitting his buddy.

"Ladies." They both turned to look at Atwater, a little wide eyed. While they had been watching him across the room he was far more imposing when he was standing next to you and a lot more handsome. Charisma just oozed from every pore and he didn't even need to try. "New to Molly's?"

"We've heard about this place, thought it was about time we checked it out." Atwater leant on the bar and smiled, flashing his sweet smile that apparently, according to Kim, Trudy and Sylvie could bring a woman whimpering to her knees.

"Liking it so far?"

"It's got a good vibe."

Adam smiled to himself as Kevin seemed to settle in and had them laughing within minutes. His buddy needed some love and it was well overdue. He ordered another beer from Otis when he collected some empty glasses and by the time it arrived Kev had bought the two girls back to his table. He introduced them as Ella and Macy and Adam found himself being a wingman whether he wanted to or not.

They were cute, no denying that and Kev seemed particularly taken with Ella, her short black hair looked a little wild but it suited her and she did have an awesome laugh. Luckily for everyone because when Kev was on a roll he made it his mission to make your sides hurt from laughing. Tonight Kev was well and truly on a roll and not even his best mate was immune to his wild story telling and as usual Adam was in his sights. If it was going to get his buddy some love he'd let him roll with it for now and make him pay later.

Ella was hanging off his every word and Kev was in his element. "I'm going take off." Adam slid his phone into his pocket and finished his beer and pushed his stool out. "Nice to meet you both."

Kevin looked a little disappointed, things were looking up for him and Adam leaving could dent his prospects with Ella if he had a entertain Macy too. "Bro, we are thinkin' of hittin' up a club. You can't bail now."

"Somewhere to be." He winked at Kevin. "Anyway Halstead's here." He waved him over to their table. Jay was surprised when Adam literally hightailed it out the bar as soon as he arrived, if he'd not known better he would have got a bit of a complex. "You kids have fun."

"Where's Ruz off to?"

"Who knows?" Kev shrugged. "Man of mystery is our Ruzek lately." They had a pretty good idea of where he was going. It wasn't worth asking anymore, his poker face was inscrutable. He'd smile, nod his head and continue on with whatever he was doing, giving them nothing. Even when they went out, he was always the life of the party, he was friendly and even a little flirty at times but he always went home alone. If Kevin had been bereft of lady loving for a while, Adam wasn't much better.

Halstead was certainly not bailing, he was definitely up for a party and managed to rope Cruz and Otis into the party and they also convinced Sylvie to join them. Sylvie knew it wasn't in her best interests but she just didn't have the will to keep refusing them and she would have to put up with them when they come crashing through the door at all hours so it was probably better just to go with the flow.

"So…" he turned back towards Ella. "…Now you do like Jazz right? I'm getting a jazz vibe from you."

Both Kevin and Jay were looking a little worse for wear when Adam bounded up the stairs the next morning. "Whoa." He laughed, slipping off his jacket and throwing it over the back of his chair. "Look what the cat dragged in. Good night?"

"If you could not speak right now, that would be good." Halstead muttered. He'd seriously considered ditching his phone when it rang earlier. "What you get up to anyway? You look as fresh as a daisy."

"An early night and good breakfast." He fired up his computer just as Voight came out of his office and took one look at Atwater and Halstead and shook his head. They hoped beyond hope that this case didn't involve a dead body because that was the last thing they needed but they weren't that lucky. Ruzek and Atwater were sent to the crime scene and Halstead was still waiting for either Olinsky or Lindsay to get in, he'd go with whoever arrived first. He didn't really care but he was just hoping they didn't waltz in anytime soon which would give him the chance to down another cup or two of coffee to see whether that could get his body going.

"I'll drive." Ruzek grabbed the keys from Atwater's hand. He really didn't like driving all that much and was usually happy that Atwater was always took the keys but today he wanted to get to where they were going in one piece and by the look of Kev he wasn't sure that was a given. "So, got a report?"

"From what?"

"The two lovely ladies I left you and Halstead with last night."

"Halstead's got some moves on him. Not good moves but he was shakin' it on the dance floor last night."

"And you."

"Smooth as butter." He clicked his fingers and slipped his hand through the air. From the corner of his eye Adam could see that Kev was feeling good about one thing, even if physically he wasn't in the best shape.

"You get a number?"

"Yeah."

"And you are going to wait how long before you call this lovely lady?"

"I don't know man. Jordan and Vanessa." He loved his brother and sister and he'd been responsible for them for so long it just seemed normal.

They'd heard this so many times it just wasn't funny anymore. "Stop using them as an excuse. Call her."

"Taking relationship advice from you seems counter productive?"

Adam scoffed. "I know how to get 'em, keeping them is my problem apparently."

"Speaking of Burgess?"

"Were we?" They pulled up at the crime scene and Adam was out of the car in an instant before Kevin could respond. Yet again he avoided a conversation about what was now taking up the majority of his spare time.

Jumping back in the car Kevin was still feeling worse for wear and staring at a bloated body that had been dragged out of the river had not helped, he'd already walked away a few times sucking in a deep breath or two. They were lucky Voight wasn't around, this shit he couldn't stand, drink, party do whatever you liked in your own time but on his time and CPD's time hangovers didn't wash.

Atwater said practically nothing as he closed his eyes and tried not to toss his cookies in the car as Adam did little to ease through the Chicago traffic and by his enthusiastic commentary he was having the time of his life. It was another one of those times when Atwater felt he could quite easily resort to physical violence, if only he didn't think another sudden movement on his part would end badly for him and the contents of his stomach.

"I'm gonna grab us a coffee." Kevin opened his eyes as the car came to a stop. "Perhaps you could make some good use of your time and call this Ella chick." It really did seem that Atwater needed to be pushed a little, and while he was doing that hopefully it would take Kev's mind off what Adam was up too. Sadly, for some reason lately his private life was Kev's favourite subject. One day soon he was hoping they'd make it past lunch without Kevin bringing up Burgess and what they were doing. Maybe a new dalliance might shift his focus for a bit.

Taking a deep breath he scrolled through the messages on his phone and hit the number. "Hey, it's Kevin."

"Oh Hi," she didn't sound annoyed to hear from him so that was a good start. He felt his nerves ease a little as she clearly remembered him. There was nothing worse than calling someone you thought you'd made a good impression on only to spend the first five minutes explaining who you were. It was never a good sign. He was taking Ella's happy greeting as a positive. "How are you?"

"I'm just going to be honest." Atwater was picking at a loose thread on his jeans. "Got called into work and I am feeling a little rough. You get home okay?"

"I did. Thank you." Kevin had organised an Uber to take the girls home when they staggered out of the club well after three. He didn't want the night to end but he was being a gentleman, much to his disappointment. There was no offer to continue the party elsewhere. "I had a good night, I haven't laughed so much and danced so hard in a long time."

"Me too." Kevin could see Adam heading his way with two cups of coffee in one hand and stuffing a donut in his mouth with the other. He saw Kevin still talking and leant on the bonnet of the car and took out his phone to start answering some messages until Kev knocked on the window to let him know he was done.

"How'd it go?" He handed him the coffee and brushed the crumbs from his jacket as he got back in the car.

"Good Bro." Adam caught the faintest of smiles as Kevin took a sip of his coffee. He wasn't quite sure if it was staying put, to be honest he was surprised that he hadn't heaved yet. Ruzek's haphazard driving wasn't helping which he knew he was doing on purpose.

"And?"

"We gonna catch up tomorrow night."

Adam held up his hand for a fist bump. "Huzzah."


	2. Baggage

Kevin was surprised at how nervous he was. It was a bit of an unfamiliar feeling for him. He couldn't even put a finger on why, maybe because he liked this woman and something told him that things were looking up for him. Or perhaps it was that he'd been shot down in flames more times than he could count over the past year, some of that he blamed on his miserable sidekick but he'd turned a corner in the last few months so hopefully that meant his luck was about to change too.

Ruzek had ribbed him all day. For him it was nice to be talking about someone else's love life for a change. His had been the focus for so long, lately the focus had shifted to the obvious disintegration of Halstead's relationship which was played out daily in the bullpen and the three boys had certainly hit it hard on occasions so it was nice for everyone to be looking in a different direction and at the very least Ruzek was going to make sure that people where going to look at the shiny new thing in the corner.

"Relax Bro, you are making me nervous." Ruzek growled as they walked up the path, his eyes darting around the building. He didn't need to look at Atwater to know what he was jumpy beside him; he could sense it because they usually had got a good groove going on. They'd been partners for a couple of years now and seemed to be able to get things done and Voight had never had to pull them up on anything stupid they'd done. He pull them up if he felt they had something to learn but never to ream them. Ever since Kev had been bumped back down to patrol for the soda can incident he'd been a diligent cop.

They were checking out an LKA for some shit for brains former drug dealer who seemed to have a bit of penchant for the cocktail of drugs that kept popping up in their dead bloated bodies. Kevin muttered something under his breath and threw some shade at his partner. He wasn't enjoying being on the other end of the stick right now.

"You want me to cover your ass or not?"

"Appreciate it." They banged on the door and got no answer and a breech revealed nothing but a foul smell some trashed furniture and mouldy stained mattresses. However there was fresh food in the fridge and the bathroom had been recently used. Someone was living here which meant, unfortunately for them they had a few hours of watching this cesspit ahead of them.

"So? Where you taking Ella?" Adam drummed his fingers on his leg absentmindedly as they sat in the car. For a while they had just dribbled their usual shit about the upcoming game and whatever else they could think of, neither of them were all that keen to get into anything deep.

"Hopefully not the same place you are taking Burgess."

Adam still refused to bite. "So the whole of Chicago is free for you to do your thing in."

Fortunately for Kevin he had little time to worry and stress himself out any further when they literally finished up watching the house in time for him to get changed and meet Ella. Voight set a patrol unit on them overnight, he couldn't justify the overtime on this yet and they'd pick it back up in the morning so Adam literally pushed Kev out of the bullpen with the rare offer to write up their progress report so he could get going.

Ella looked better than he remembered as she arrived at the restaurant. Kevin offered to pick her up but she baulked a little and asked to meet him there. Tall, lean long legs and that hair, wild and crazy but it was her eyes that got him. They made him a little weak at the knees.

"I forgot how good you looked." He jumped up and held out the seat for her to slide into. "It's a relief that you are here."

"Did you think I'd bail?"

"Yeah."

"Ye of little faith." Kevin sat back and watched her as the waiter took their drinks order. She was a beautiful as he remembered and he had no idea what she was doing here with him. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

While they waited for the drinks Kevin told her as much as he could about his day without making it sound like the complete horror show that it was and once they'd ordered dinner gradually they got a little more deeper into each other. "I've got something I need to tell you?" Ella started nervously.

"You are running away to join the circus?" Kevin leant forward and whispered.

Ella snorted. "No, what makes you say that? That's not what most people say?"

"I'm not most people."

"I don't think I'd be good in the circus, I am what could be considered unco-ordinated." She laughed, it was a light little giggle and Kevin really liked it.

"I saw you on the dance floor, that's not unco." Kevin snorted. "Halstead, now that's unco."

"You're sweet." She took at mouthful of her wine to swallow her nervousness. "I have a daughter. Mavis, she's two and a half."

"Got a photo?"

"Oh, ah…." That wasn't what she expected. Most guys ran a mile, or at least pretended that it didn't matter but when their first response was 'where's the father?' she knew it was a dead end street. "Sure." Reaching for her phone she showed him her screen saver. It was a photo of her with the sweetest little girl with big beautiful eyes, wild crazy hair like her mother and a smile as big as Christmas.

"Beautiful, like you." He handed her back her phone.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"Where's her father? You all do."

Kevin leant back in his seat and shrugged a little. "I'm kinda hoping that because you are here it means he's not really a factor that I need to concern myself with?"

"He's not."

"Okay then." Kevin touched her hand lightly. "Is he going to be a problem?"

"No, he helps take care of Mavis, she spends every second week with him and he's a great Dad."

"I'm glad."

"I had a baby to help his family." Ella surprised herself when she started talking about her daughter and her ex. It was something she never did, not until she knew they weren't going to run for the hills. Most times they still ran but she knew that before she'd start talking about Mavis. Perhaps, she often thought that was precisely why she did it, to make them do the running rather than her. Something about Kevin though made her feel at ease. Perhaps they wouldn't go anywhere but she had a feeling that no matter what he was going to be around for a while, even just as a friend. "His sister was dying and they needed a bone marrow match, Jonah convinced me that we should try. It didn't work and his sister died about a year after Mavis was born. We couldn't hold it together. The odds were so low but his family was desperate and despite that Mavis is the love of our lives, his family adores her too. We just aren't each others one true love."

Kevin leant over and squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. "I bet she is. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Jonah is engaged now and Nina is great. Mavis loves her and she treats her well so we are just getting on with our lives, loving Mavis and doing our best."

"I guess it's my lucky day then?"

"Mine too." The spell was broken when dinner arrived and Kevin did like that Ella had ordered a decent meal and was happy to tuck into it. A recent date he went on started off on the wrong foot when Kevin took her to his favourite steak joint only to find out she was a vegan and just a little bit of a tree hugger. He didn't mind people choosing not to eat meat, but lecturing someone on your first date about the murdered animal he was trying to enjoy was a bridge too far. He was home by nine thirty and they only met at seven.

It was after eleven when they finally got the hint from the restaurant that it was time to leave when all the chairs were on the table, the rest of the staff had left and only the owner was left waiting for them to close up.

"I feel like you know everything about me." Ella wasn't keen to leave just yet so they found a small bar and ordered a nightcap. "I've talked too much."

"No, you talked just enough." Kevin rested his hand over the back of her chair and leant in a little bit. "What you want to know?"

"You, tell me what Kevin does when he's not keeping the streets safe."

"I keep Ruzek out of trouble, I get Halstead into trouble and I …" he looked a little nervous. "…Go home and look after my little bro and sis."

"How old are they?"

"Sixteen and twelve." He tapped his glass on the bar, watching the liquid ripple before he swallowed it and met her steady gaze. "I take care of them, I'm their guardian."

"Oh."

"They are good kids." Kevin added quickly. He was fully expecting this to all come to a screaming halt anytime now.

"Take after you?"

"That's the plan."

"How long have you looked after them?"

"About five years now. Just before I went into the academy, my Mom split town, my old man is locked up but he wasn't around anyway so it was either me or Foster care and I couldn't do that to them. It's not their fault my parents are dead useless, so we decided to do this."

"I guess you had no choice."

"Nope."

Ella leant over and kissed Kevin's cheek lightly. "That's pretty awesome."

It did throw a spanner in the works, they both had baggage that couldn't be ignored or swept under the carpet and surprisingly neither of them wanted to.


	3. The Ladies

"How's Burgess?" Lindsay paced back and forth in front of Ruzek while they were waiting for the Medical Examiner to call them in. He was being his usual frustrating self by playing on his phone and completely ignoring Lindsay. How he could switch off completely from work and then jump straight back into it when need be was remarkable and frustrating.

"Why don't you call her?"

"I am not sure she wants to hear about my problems."

Adam put his phone away as the ME leant out the door and whistled in their direction. "Well guess what Lindsay?" He paused and looked at her just briefly, his annoyance evident on his face. "Perhaps you could call her and I don't know, ask her about her problems for a change. I am sure she'd like to know you care."

"So you are not going to tell me how she's doing?"

"Burgess is fine." He snapped.

"Oh okay." She took the hint; he didn't want to talk about Burgess so she changed the subject. "I hear Atwater is seeing someone."

"Yep. He's been hitting the tiles pretty hard, he's not alone though." He had to throw that in, he knew damn well that she knew Jay had been partying hard lately. It was not the fact that Adam didn't want to talk about Burgess, he was happy to tell anyone who asked how Burgess was doing as long as they didn't ask what was going on between them.

He was annoyed because Lindsay hadn't bothered to even pick up the phone and ask Kim how she was doing or if she needed anything. Everyone else in the Unit had called her, Voight had even gone as far as taking her out for coffee one day so it was glaringly obvious when one person hadn't even bothered to check in. She'd asked Adam about it one day, why Erin was avoiding her when she was having a tough day, and there had been more than a few tough days. So much for being 'sisters' but then again she did have a pattern of behaviour so it was no surprise that when the shit hit the fan the only person Lindsay cared about was herself. That was just who she was, it was just frustrating at times. It usually didn't bother him but he was pissed because Burgess had been upset about it.

Atwater and Halstead were laughing over some video they were watching when they trudged back up the stairs. Usually Adam enjoyed working with Erin, because she had a pretty good grip on Police work and he had learnt a lot from her and knew she could still teach him a lot. He often picked her brains about what he could've done better or what she would have done but lately it was tough going and she was really killing his buzz. "Boys. I am guessing that's not about the case?"

"No." Atwater turned his phone off as Ruzek peered over his shoulder.

"Smooth moves." Adam patted Halstead on the back. "Smooth."

"What you got?" Voight had been watching from his office. Things had shifted in this place lately and he wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with some of it. He had to admit though that Ruzek and Atwater were becoming one hell of a team so he was a little annoyed to think that he may need to shuffle the decks a bit if others couldn't even attempt to act professional.

Ruzek waved the ME report at them and everyone's attention turned back to the case at hand. "Obviously also been in the water a while, two days max. Tox screen reads like a pharmacy inventory. Benzos, Ketamine, anti-depressants and H makes a surprise appearance, that's a new one. Water in the lungs suggests that perhaps she was just alive when she went into the water, but only just. Not much water in the lungs."

"So two bodies? No links? Nothing?" Voight looked pissed. This had been bugging them for weeks. They'd worked that case for a good week and got nothing. It sat on the board nagging them and any spare minute they got they would take a run at it again. Now with the discovery of another body it was back front and centre again. "except for this drug cocktail turning up again. Do they know if they are the same batch?"

"Awaiting those results; should be by the end of the day." Adam added as he sat back down at his desk. He eyed off Lindsay who had said nothing since they'd been back. When he saw Voight watching her also he put his head down and turned to his computer "I'll follow up now." he did not want to get involved and he was waiting for Voight to call him into his office. He'd been here, in some funk because of shit that was going on at home and he'd made the decision never again was he going to let his home life affect his work.

"How's Ella?" Adam and Kevin were heading back out to chat to the latest victims family. Adam literally leapt out of his chair when Voight suggested that they needed to talk to the family and Kev was quick to follow. No-one really wanted to be stuck in the bullpen right now, except Al, he seemed blissfully unaware of what was going on. That wasn't exactly true, he knew what was going on he just didn't care.

"Well she still seems to like me."

"Huh, if I hadn't met her I would have said she didn't exist."

"I love your faith in me. It makes my heart all fluttery." Adam eyed him as they headed to the parking lot. He looked happy. "Anyway, Friday drinks at Molly's and it's my birthday so no bailing."

"I wouldn't bail on your birthday Bro."

"Can you ask Burgess?"

"Sure." Kim was certain to come, she was excited that Kevin had met someone and had drilled Adam for all the details. Obviously she was frustrated that he only ever gave her the basics; she was nice, she was cute and Kevin made her laugh and that she had a kid.

"What do you mean, how old? What's the story?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "A couple of years old, it's a girl." It wasn't nearly enough for Kim so Adam told her that if she wanted to know more she would have to come and see for herself and Friday night would be the perfect opportunity to do that.

Kevin was in full flight by the time Adam got to Molly's. He' been caught up with some last minute issues with a statement, Voight had bounced it back to him because he couldn't read half of it. "Ruz." He threw his arms out wide and welcomed his best mate. It was obvious that Kev had certainly made a head start: he was half cut already and Halstead wasn't far behind him.

"So, Kevin's being a gentleman I hope?" He soon found himself sitting next to Ella while Kevin was busy being the life of the party. One thing Kevin never missed the opportunity to celebrate his birthday and it usually ended up with no-one feeling like roses the next day. When Kevin partied, everyone partied with him.

"He has."

"I'm not surprised." Kevin certainly knew how to charm the ladies, and it wasn't just an act to get them on the hook, he was genuinely a gentleman. Kev was one of the nicest people he'd ever met, he was loyal to a T, admitted when he fucked up and always wanted to make people happy. Ella was a lucky woman and Adam wanted to make sure she knew it. "He's, without a doubt the best man I know."

"He talks about you a lot."

"Typical. He should talk about himself more. He's far more interesting." Adam ordered them another drink. "What do you want to know?"

"About you or Kev?"

"Kev obviously." Adam laughed. "I told you, far more interesting." Adam spent the next half hour telling Ella plenty of things that Kev would probably haul him over the coals about later. He had Ella laughing as her told her about how he'd fallen on his ass trying to chase someone down and ended face down in a muddy puddle. How he was too gutless to jump off a roof as he wasn't great with heights and the day he almost popped a shoulder trying to break through a door, which Adam then reached around him, turned the knob and opened the un-locked door. Even Voight laughed at that one.

Adam had one eye on the door and one eye on Kevin as he kept winking at Ella every time he caught her eye. He was clearly besotted and Adam couldn't be happier, he really wanted him to find some love. It had been far too long, Kevin was very much a love 'em and leave 'em type and he'd been a little lost since Mouse left town because that seemed to be their thing. Kim had tried to set him up a few times but after one or two dates he was back to playing the field and when Kim had to comfort a distraught friend after one unhappy date she swore never again.

"Here's my girl." Atwater's booming voice made everyone's head turn as he spied Kim walk through the door clutching a gift in one hand. Kim wished him a Happy Birthday as he enveloped her in bear hug. It was the first time she'd been out with the group for quite awhile and she was looking forward to it for a lot of reasons. Mainly because she wanted to meet Kev's girl, or that's what she told Adam anyway.

"Is that her?" Ella quietly asked Adam who was watching Kevin and Kim.

"Yep." He admitted. "That's her."

Kevin had obviously done a good job and filling her in on everyone in his family, including his two best friends. Kevin had told her a lot about them and Ella could see it on Adam's face as soon as she walked in. Kim handed him his gift and caught Adam's eye as he opened it. He loved the pewter hipflask she had given him. He looked at the card and then back to Kim. "Yeah?" he leant in close and grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Nothing to see here Kev." She patted his arm. "Anyway, let me meet this lovely lady of yours."

"She's over talking to your man." Kevin teased her gently which Kim completely ignored. He still couldn't believe the card, he recognised Kim's writing, mainly because it was actually legible. _'Happy Birthday to our brother from another mother. Love you to the stars, Kim & Adam.'_

Adam jumped up and offered Kim his seat when Kevin bought her over to meet Ella. He stood beside her for a moment, rubbing her back lightly before leaving the two girls to talk.

"Kevin says you were partners. You've been a cop a while?"

"We were. He was my first real partner on patrol. I missed him when he went upstairs so it's great to be back with him again. Well when I get back." Kevin had always been her favourite partner. There was never anything devious and underhanded about him. When Kev said he had your back, he had your back twenty four seven.

"I heard you were on leave for awhile."

"Yeah." Kim ran her finger around the rim of her glass and then took a mouthful of wine. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Oh, anything really."

"He's a big teddy bear. Like all soft and squishy on the inside with a wiry tough coat." Kim's face lit up and she laughed. Kevin looked over and smiled at his two favourite girls together. Well, Kim was his favourite but he really hoped Ella would one day be a favourite too, perhaps even knocked her off her perch and he knew that was what Kim wanted too, she wanted Kev to be happy. "Don't take shit from him though. Call him out. They get a little boyish sometimes." She waggled her finger in the direction of Kev, Adam and Jay. "The three of them need to be called on their crap."

"Is it hard?"

"What? Putting up with Kevin? Or all of them?"

"No, being a cop. It freaks me out a little. He picked me up the other day and had this black eye and I kinda freaked out. How do you handle it?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess it's easier for me because I've been there. They are a good team, they have each other's backs and I just have to trust that. I must say I find it easier when I am actually with them." Kim looked at Adam and while she couldn't see his face she knew that he was happy right now. "Lately I found myself worrying a bit more. If Adam get's hurt I do freak out a little."

"So you two?"

"Are working on being friends again." Kim cut her off, she knew that Kev would have told Ella the whole sorry saga of her failed engagement with Adam. As much as Kim wanted to forget about all the crap she'd thrown at his feet she couldn't. It was always going to be part of whatever they were now or hoped to be in the future. "Adam was telling me about your little girl."

"Mavis."

"Well actually all Adam told me was he thinks you have a little girl. Details are not his thing."

"Why am I not surprised." Ella giggled a little as she rolled her eyes, she really liked Adam and she was starting to really like Kim too. "She's two and a half and bounces around all day long. She's with her father this weekend."

"Kev is great with kids, he usually has them eating out of the palm of his hand within minutes. Being a big kid himself helps." Kim squeezed her hand. "All of them are."

"Ladies." Kevin appeared behind them and draped his arms around both their shoulders. "We are going dancing."

"I am not sure I have my dancing shoes on?" Kim screwed up her nose a little. Coming out was a big enough deal for her and looking at her watch she knew that Nicole would start worrying soon if she didn't check in or come home.

"If you don't come, Ruz won't come and it's my birthday." He pouted at Kim and gave her his puppy dog look until she agreed. "Excellent." He held out his hand for Ella, which she happily took and his arm was draped over her shoulder as he steered her through the crowd towards the door.

"I think Kev is in love." Kim walked out with Adam. He rested his hand lightly and her back as they picked their way through the crowded bar and headed towards Kim's car. "It's so cute."

"Cute?" Adam wrinkled his nose. "I can tell you this will not be cute in an hour or two. Are you sure you are up for it?"

"It's Kev's birthday. You can't bail."

"I'm only bailing if you do. As soon as you want to leave let me know." They stayed for a couple of hours and Kev didn't even whinge when they called it a night. He was in his element and Ella was hanging off his every word and they way they moved on the dance floor, this dance party was going to continue for a very long time and they weren't going to stay vertical all night.

"So?" Kevin literally pounced on Adam as he came up stairs on Monday.

"So what?" He hung his jacket over the back of his chair and grabbed his coffee mug on the way through to the break room. He was running late this morning for no particular reason other than he slept in and that had screwed his morning routine and he hated that and he was grumpy.

"What did Burgess think?" Kev followed him and was literally hopping from foot to foot in the doorway. Adam was a little surprised that he was obviously keen to find out Kim's opinion. He had known in the past that Kim had put the kibosh on one girl he started seeing and he'd never asked her again, until now and he got the feeling that was because he was very keen on this one.

"About what?"

He rolled his eyes. It was a lot less extreme than punching him. "Ella."

"How should I know?"

"Ah, because you left together. I know Burgess, she can't stop herself and my birthday card said Kim and Adam, like a couple would."

"Burgess thinks you are in love." Adam patted him on the shoulder on the way back to his desk. "I think so too." The rest of that sentence he wasn't touching.

As soon as were in the car Kevin pulled out his phone. "I'm starting to get jealous." Adam teased him. "You don't talk to me anymore."

"Cos you're ugly and a terrible kisser."

"My heart Kev, my heart." He clutched his chest. "Hope you are a little more tender in your lovin' of that pretty girl."

Kev winked at his buddy. "I can teach you some moves."

"I'm good."

"Your current status tells me otherwise, unless you have had a change in that department lately?" They pulled up at the warehouse they were scouting and Kev put his phone away and they both did a visual check of the area before they got out.

"You got the breaching kit." Adam ignored him as he started to focus on the task at hand.

"Ruz, this mute thing you've got going on is starting to get annoying."

"Atwater, you should really see someone about this Tick that I think you have, you keep saying the same thing. I'm sure there is a pill you could take." He pointed to the door. "Focus. I don't want to die today."


	4. Brothers in Arms

"What do you mean she's gone?" Atwater was leaning against the locker in the change room watching Ruzek put his gear away. He sat down on the bench and started lacing his boots, he'd been at work all night and had barely got back the station in time to have shower.

"Just what I said." Ruzek shrugged. He had very little information to share on the matter.

"When did that happen?"

"Don't know man, I bumped into Will at the hospital last night and he dropped that nugget. Just said that she'd blown out of town and Jay has no idea what's going on."

Atwater scratched his neck, a habit he had when something was bugging him. "I mean I know they'd broken up but Jesus, that's big. I guess that explains the black dog mood that Halstead hauled in here the past few days."

"Yep." Ruzek dropped his feet to the floor and pushed himself up off the bench. He patted Atwater on the chest. "Let's go."

"I don't know if I want to go, like is it wrong to hope and pray for a dead body or something nasty just so we don't have to go back in there?" Atwater pointed down the hall to the bullpen.

"Toughen up Princess."

It was a long nasty day in the bullpen, sadly Chicago was on its best behaviour and they were instructed to catch up on their CI files and reports. At one stage Voight followed Ruzek into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. "Just before I call Burgess, because I don't want to put pressure on her but you got any idea when she's thinking of coming back?"

"A couple of weeks I think. She's got some retreat thing planned with Nicole next week and then I think she is hoping to come back."

"Okay."

"We a man down boss?"

"So it seems." He muttered, filled his coffee mug and left Ruzek in peace, he was grabbing a half hour break and hoping to close his eyes. Right now nobody wanted to talk about it and that was fine by him because all he cared about was sleep.

It took him approximately a minute to fall asleep but before he knew it he peeled his eyes open when he felt something hit him and found Atwater peering at him and a balled-up paper towel in his lap. "Get up Bro, we've got a call. Some Patrol unit needs some back up."

"Why us?" he rolled off he couch reluctantly.

"Because Voight asked someone to go and anything is better than sitting in here all day with misery guts." He sniffed the air a little. "You know this room smells like someone died in it. What's wrong with you?"

"Jeez. You forget to take your happy pills this morning?" He grumbled as he took his weapon from his partner and followed him down the back stairs. "Hope you are in a better mood by the time you get home? It's too early for Ella to see this side of you."

"Ah, Bro. We are going to Molly's tonight. Halstead's buy apparently."

"Fan-fucking-tastic."

It had turned out to be an interesting night because they did not talk about the elephant in the room, not until Halstead was three sheets to the wind near on closing time. The later it got the messier he became. Both Atwater and Ruzek tried to pull the pin earlier to no avail; Halstead was on a roll.

"Ah Fuck it." Jay slammed his shot glass down on the bar when Hermann told him he was cut off.

"Let's go Bud." Adam rested his hand on Jay's shoulder. "I'll call you a cab."

He shrugged his hand off angrily. "Nah, let's hit up the Sound Bar."

"Think I'll pass, and I think you should too."

"Don't be a pussy Ruzek. Just because you think you've got your shit sorted. Let's remember it wasn't that long ago you got burnt big time. What makes you think she's not going to fuck you off again? Huh?" Jay spat at him and Kevin caught him as he staggered a little while Ruzek rolled his shoulders and sighed. He glanced at Hermann who just laughed, which was unhelpful. "Need I remind you of safe drinking laws Hermann" Ruzek shot back.

"Come on Jay." Kevin tried to take the sting out of it. Ruzek was looking a little pissed off, this was the last thing he wanted to be doing. He was totally shot from racking up less that 3 hours sleep in two days so having Halstead throw that shit in his face when all they were trying to do was help was seriously fucking annoying.

Halstead then turned on Kevin. "What? What Kevin? You think Ella is going to be the answer? What's the bet you come home one day and find all your shit in a few boxes in an empty apartment? With some bullshit note about it being 'for the best.' It's all fucking bullshit, women are bullshit." He pushed both of them away and stormed from the bar.

"Well, that explains things." Adam shrugged and they both followed him out the door and watched him stagger up the street. It took a fair bit of wrangling and cajoling but they managed to get him back to Ruzek's place to sleep it off.

Adam dropped a cup of coffee on the table beside the still sleeping Halstead. "Wake up sunshine."

"Fuck off Ruzek."

"Well, I'd like too but you are messing up my place."

"It's not hard." He pushed himself up into sitting position gingerly, feeling like he'd been trampled by a pack of bulls. Sadly it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling lately. "Your place is a mess."

"Thanks for taking care of me last night Ruz, much appreciated." Adam mocked him as he sat opposite him, threw his feet up on the table and sipped his coffee. He couldn't say he was feeling all that great either but he looked a damn sight better than Jay did right now.

"Thanks Ruz." Jay muttered as he leant forward and grabbed his coffee. "I'm guessing by your slightly pissed off look I was a dick last night?"

"That's one word for it. You weren't pretty, that's for sure." He nodded. "So Lindsay just took off?" He asked, somewhat nervously. Even when they got him back here last night he wanted to keep the party going and Atwater only left once he'd passed out on the couch. Ruzek basically left them to it, Atwater was never the one to leave someone hanging so he sat and listened to him for another hour once Ruzek had taken himself to bed.

"I don't know man, all my shit is in a couple of boxes, the place is empty. Apparently it's on the market and I got a note saying it's for the best. What the fuck does that mean?"

"I am so not the person to ask."

"Right." Out of all the people in the unit, and no one really had anything close to a stable relationship history, Ruzek was way down the bottom of the pile if he was seeking some kind of guidance. It took him a long time to figure out what precisely had gone wrong for him, not once but twice. "I asked Voight, he said nothing other than CPD were going to bounce her and she had to leave town."

"Without saying goodbye?"

"Well, as per usual Bunny got in her head. For all I know they are sunning themselves in Cabo."

"You reckon she's with Bunny."

"Who knows?" Jay pushed himself up off the couch. "Whatever. It's done, I know where I stand, I always figured I was so low on her totem pole it wasn't funny, just wished I'd realised it before I got in too deep. Hey, let me wallow in misery for a bit, I mean we put up with you for more than a year."

"Fair point."

He grabbed a shower while in the bathroom and wandered back out to find Ruzek on the phone. "Sure, sure." He agreed as he spied Halstead coming back out. "Yep, I'll see you in an hour."

"You got a date?"

"Kinda." He shrugged, reluctant to give anything else away. "Can I drop you off at home?" He grabbed his keys, wallet and phone. Although judging by the various mutterings they'd been privy to over the last twelve hours or so Halstead's living arrangements seemed fluid.

"You are keen to get rid of me?"

"I promised to help someone out today. You can stay if you want, stay as long as you like Bro. You need a place to crash, let me know." He grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a man hug, which was basically a pat on the back. "Although the best I can do is the couch. It's not really set up for two bachelors."

"Say hi to Burgess for me." Jay poured himself another coffee and Ruzek did not even look back or acknowledge he had spoken. "Bloody hell." He groaned and rested his head on the bench. He felt like shit; the shower had barely made him feel human. This had to stop and he promised it would, one day soon.


	5. Road Trip

_**Just a short little filler chapter before we get stuck back into it. **_

She snorted. She was mocking him.

"What's so funny?" His phone was crammed between his ear and his shoulder while he was talking to her and trying to type up a report. He needed to get it finished before he left for the weekend.

"I thought I heard you say you were going camping?"

"You did."

"Oh okay." She laughed. "Good luck with that, take lots of photos."

"It's not my first rodeo."

"I know and I also remember freezing for most of it because you couldn't light a fire to save your life. It almost cost me mine."

"It did not. The wood was wet."

"Yes, yes it was."

Adam groaned. "Do you mind? I'm at work."

"Anyway, at least you will have Halstead with you. He's ex-ranger he must have survival skills. Atwater, I have little faith in and you obviously I have no faith in."

"Thank you. Anyway, thanks for the pep talk, it's always good for my ego." Their friendship was strong again, and he liked it. This was a good place for them, perhaps it was the best place for them. "What are your plans?"

"Civilisation, cooked food, warmth, and a distinct lack of bugs and boy odours."

"Fascinating."

Atwater had concocted this idea to get Halstead out of Chicago, he needed to unplug because he was seriously killing them with his non-stop partying. Kev had been annoyingly excited about camping. He'd found them a cabin in some remote location, it was described as rustic which didn't fill anyone with hope and they could apparently fish for their dinner.

Best of all it had zero contact with the outside world. No electricity, no phone signal, no running water. It felt like a punishment more than a relaxing weekend away and Ruzek had whinged about it but Halstead just shrugged, he didn't really care and Atwater was enthusiastic.

"Where's your stuff?" Atwater looked sceptical when Ruzek came down with just one bag a six pack of beer and the world's biggest bag of Doritos.

"It's all here. I am not a girl; I don't need a different outfit for every hour of the day."

"It's your funeral."

"Yes, yes it is." He rolled his eyes as he looked in the back of Atwater's truck and saw how much shit he'd bought. "How long are we planning on staying? I thought it was two nights?"

"It is, and because I can't stand you whinging all weekend I bought a sleeping bag for you too because you didn't bother did you?"

"It's a cabin, they have that shit."

"Did you read the email I sent?"

"Why would I, you've told me all I need to know, several times and look.." He grabbed the sleeping bag and waved it around. "..I've got shit now."

"Get in the fucking car Ruz, you useless prick."

"Love you Bro."

They swung by a grocery store before picking up Halstead. Ruzek wasn't surprised when Atwater pulled out a list. He snorted and rolled his eyes and then preceded to throw stuff in the cart that wasn't on the list. Atwater got his jocks in a knot when he insisted they buy steak. "That's what the fishing rods are for?"

"And what happens when we catch jack shit?"

"I have a feeling Bro, we are goin' knock it out of the park."

Ruzek refused to put it back. "And if we don't…" he picked up the bag of salad. "…I am not living on rabbit food alone. You don't want it, don't eat it but don't touch my steak."

"Are you goin' to be this miserable the whole time?"

"Just you wait until we get Halstead, you'll think I am Judy Fucking Garland. Misery Guts is next level."

Atwater muttered something Ruzek didn't quite catch. Halstead was precisely where Ruzek had been for a good year after Burgess lost her marbles. It was the only explanation for sleeping with Roman. Atwater had even suggested that she get tested for some rare brain eating parasite which went down like a lead balloon with Burgess but it had got have a laugh out of Ruzek. At that stage half a laugh was a good thing.

"What the fuck is this?" Ruzek growled from the backseat when Halstead took control of the music. He had suddenly become a closet country and western fan. "Misery music? I'm not listening to this shit the entire weekend." He just turned it up and Ruzek reached for his phone, popped his headphones on drowned out the dirge coming from the front of the car.

"You good Man?" Atwater eyed Halstead as he drove.

"I am Kev. I am looking forward to watching Ruzek's ineptitude for a couple of days."

"He packed one bag, bought a six-pack & that fucking bag of Doritos that's as big as his head."

Halstead laughed. "Bear Grylls he ain't."

"I can still hear you." He piped up from the backseat. "You'll be glad I bought the Doritos soon enough Halstead. Atwater thinks you are hunting and gathering for all your food this weekend, I am smarter than that. Hence the supplies." He picked up the bag and shook it. "You can thank me later."

Ruzek was useless, they learnt that early. How he could get fishing line tangled just by looking at it was beyond them. "What the fuck did you do?" Atwater picked up the ball of line from the bucket.

"I didn't do anything." Ruzek muttered. "Are you going to whinge all weekend?"

One thing Ruzek didn't love was fishing and he knew precisely why, it was boring. As boring as bat shit. He had better things to do than sit and stare at a fishing rod, not talking, waiting for some dumb fish to take the bait. He lasted an hour, driving them both nuts with his constant up and down before he stalked back to the cabin. If he was going to do nothing and say nothing he'd rather do that lying on a bunk.

He cracked open a beer and checked his phone. Of course they were in the middle of friggin' nowhere and had no signal whatsoever.

By the time the fishermen got back Ruzek had at least got a fire going. "So where is this feast?" He mocked Atwater as he loped inside.

"You scared them off."

"Me? I left you two hours ago? You gonna starve man. I told you."

"Fuck off Ruzek."

Ruzek tossed the bag of Dorito's at him. "Here, knock yourself out Bro."

One thing Ruzek could do was grill a steak, which surprised everyone. His old man apparently taught him well, he spent his younger years watching his Dad cook steak and listening to him tell him that if you can only do one thing, cooking meat well is it. "So you and Burgess?" Halstead bought him out another beer.

"What about it?"

"What's going on?"

"It's complicated. It's good, we are trying to figure things out." Ruzek shrugged. "Nothing really."

"What that makes no fucking sense."

"Since when does anything make sense as far as women are concerned?" He looked at the timer on his phone and then turned the steaks.

"Are you really timing how long to cook these things?"

"Halstead, there is an art to the perfect steak. Don't interrupt my genius."

Halstead snorted and Ruzek reminded him that he could enjoy the Dorito's with the master hunter and gatherer if he liked. Atwater was still sulking inside. "Kev really doesn't play well with others when his pride his hurt."

"He's pining over his woman. He actually spent a good half hour trying to get a signal." Halstead dropped him in it. He had bitched at Ruzek's whinging about being cut off from the civilised world and what if something happened and they needed to be contacted.

"Who the hell would want to contact you?" Kev taunted him.

"You never know."

"Burgess?" Something was going on between those two but both of them were like clams. Nobody was saying anything and it was frustrating the crap out of him.

"Pfft, like she cares."

Ruzek laughed. Poor Kev was besotted and he was so happy for his buddy. At least one of them had something good going on. He eyed Halstead as he moved the steaks around. He was a million miles away, probably in New York if truth be told. "You thinking about NYC?"

"Nah…"

"Sure?"

"She's gone Ruzek, she's made it pretty damn obvious that that's where she wants to be. Not here, not with me. I can't mope around forever."

"You are doing a damn fine job of it."

"Still got a few years to go before I reach your level of moping."

"Do as I say, not as I do." He grabbed the steaks off and wrapped them in Alfoil. "Go get sad sacks to stop watching videos of Ella blowing him kisses and let's eat. I'm starving."

Three guys, a bunch of steaks and too much beer was never going to end well and the plans to get up early and try to catch some early fish went out the window. It got ugly, the stench of smoke, stale beer and way too much testosterone in a confined space was kind of toxic.

They had dribbled some shit, offered unwelcome advice, been crude, laughed like idiots at dumb shit and finally staggered to bed well after midnight. Ruzek flaked first but was woken by both Halstead crashing in and Atwater lumbering in the dark, tripping over his shit.

Heading back to Chicago was a relief and as soon as they hit civilisation all their phones beeped. Halstead was flaked out in the back seat and had been since they left. He apparently had been kept awake all night by Kev's snoring. The guy was like a freight train when he'd been drinking. "Ella making sure you still love her?" Ruzek teased Kev as he smiled at his message.

"Of course. Jealous much?"

"Happy for you Bro."

Kev reached for Ruzek's phone as Adam was driving. "Want me to read your message from Burgess?"

"Nah, it's good."

Kev read it anyway. '_Hope the wood wasn't too wet?' _Ruzek laughed. "What the hell does that mean?" Ruzek had a habit of shrugging and Kev was starting to get more annoyed than anything. Even when they were three sheets to the wind he gave up nothing. "You two and your little love language."

"Hardly. She doubted my ability to survive in the woods."

"So did we."

"Hey, you can thank me for the steaks anytime."

"Yeah Yeah." Kev waved his hand. "Whatever Ruzek. Just drive. I've got places to be."

"You might want to shower first, you stink." Ruzek leant over and pretended to sniff him. "That's not a turn on. Just so you know."

"You gonna shower before you see Burgess?" Ruzek didn't answer. He just stared at the road ahead and concentrated on the driving.


	6. Mixing It Up

"Rix." Atwater whispered urgently. He got no reply. "Rixton." Again it was silent. He felt for the wall in the dark to guide him. They were working in the dark and Rixton was supposed to be behind him but he felt alone before he realised she wasn't there.

He crept forward and could hear his team crackling in his ear. They were coming through the front in two minutes and they were supposed to be in position by then but it was dark and harder to navigate than they anticipated and he'd wasted precious seconds trying to locate his partner.

The last thing he heard before he felt his knees buckle was the 'CPD' and the familiar thunk of the battering ram on the door. A white-hot stabbing pain ripped through his back, once, twice as he tried to hold himself up and staggered towards the sound of yelling, towards his team. "Rixton." He called out and got nothing back as he took three steps before falling to his knees. "Ruzek." he tried something else.

Adam's ears pricked slightly. "Halstead. You got him?" His knee was pressing down between the perp's shoulder blades as Halstead grabbed his arms to cuff him.

"Got him."

Ruzek jumped up, grabbed his flashlight and took off towards the sound. He felt a hand in his back and the heard the familiar voice of his boss. "What is it Ruzek?"

"Atwater." He crouched down a little and tried to sweep the premises for movement. "Where are they?" He had a bad feeling and managed to convey that to his boss with just a few words.

"Go." Voight covered his back as they picked their way through the dark warehouse towards the back. Suddenly they saw a movement to their right and they both pointed their weapons at the shadow. They caught the flash of vest in the light of the torch as Rixton came into view.

"Where's Atwater?" Ruzek barked at him. What the hell was he doing alone?

"He went one way I went the other."

"Fuck." Ruzek took off again, this time with a little more urgency. Voight was on his heels followed by Rixton. "Kev." He broke into a sprint, his gun still up and his eyes wildly scanning the space ahead of them when he saw the crumpled mass on the floor as they came around the corner. Holstering his weapon in one motion he slid on his knees into his partner's side. "Kevin."

Voight held the flashlight up and shined it in Atwater's face. He was sweating profusely but breathing. Adam looked down when he felt a warm liquid soaking into his jeans as he knelt on the floor. "Call an Ambulance." He screamed; his blood ran cold despite the warmth that was seeping between his fingers as he searched Atwater's body for the source.

Suddenly the lights went on and he could see the dark pool spread out on his back and as he pressed his hands over the patch he was a least grateful that Atwater groaned at the sudden increase of pressure. "Where's that fucking bus?" he barked at Halstead and Olinsky as they came barrelling around the corner.

"It's coming." Al rested his hand on Adam's back. "How is he?"

"Fucking bleeding out."

"What happened?" Voight looked from Atwater, who was barely conscious to Rixton who was looking for a way out. "Is he shot?"

"I don't know." Kenny just shrugged.

Adams' head snapped up. "What the fuck does that mean? Why don't you know?" Adam hadn't been overly impressed when Rixton rocked up and bought them in on a drug bust he was working on. He'd turned up and talked down to both Kevin and him, reminding them they were officers and that Kevin would be with him because he was inexperienced and Ruzek could partner with Halstead, because "I've got no idea how you work, remember you flaked out?" Voight didn't look overly happy but let Rixton run with it. It apparently wasn't the first time that Rixton had taken a dump on the more junior officers in Intelligence.

"Ruzek." Voight stepped closer to him just as the paramedics rocked up. On examination they found two stab wounds to his right lower back. Adam wiped his hands on a towel that one of the paramedics handed him. They got Kevin up on the trolley and he went with him, jumping in the back of the ambo with his partner.

"You wanna tell me what that was about?"

"What?"

"Your partner is enroute to Chicago Med with two stab wounds in his back? How'd it happen?"

"I heard a noise, I followed it. Atwater didn't cover me."

Voight wasn't completely satisfied with the story but his main concern right now was the condition of his officer. Atwater may have been the least experienced member of this team, while Burgess was out on furlough anyway but he wasn't exactly green. They knew to cover each other, they knew the rules and he'd never once had to remind Atwater to cover his partner's back. Every member of his team needed to walk back through those doors every single day, anything less meant failure.

Atwater and Ruzek worked well together, they were in tune with each other but just so they didn't get too comfortable he would mix things up occasionally to keep them on their toes. While he knew that each and every member of his team would work with each other quite happily whenever someone came in from the outside it unsettled the team a little. Rixton had ruffled feathers the first time around and he should never have let him take control. Ruzek and Atwater may have been his youngest team but right now it seemed they were also his smartest and most settled. Halstead was getting used to working with Upton and Olinksy would just float about.

When Adam Ruzek had a bee in his bonnet he never let it go. Right now he was pacing outside the exam room while half of Chicago Med seemed to be in his partners room. He'd lost consciousness on the way in and they'd intubated him in the back of the ambulance. It had taken all his willpower to stay calm. "What the hell is going on Will?" He grabbed Will Halstead's arm as he came out of the room.

"He's stable. Two stab wounds to his lower back, we are not sure of the extent of the damage but he's lost a lot of blood. We are just about to take him up to surgery to have a look and repair any damage. The fear is it's hit a kidney and his liver. We'll know more soon." He patted Adam's arm. "Hang tight."

"Hang tight, you kidding me?"

"Is there anyone we should call? His folks?"

Adam rubbed his temples before folding his arms across his chest. "Folks, nah. I'll sort out his Bro and little sister. He's goin' to be okay right?"

"Touch and go, but he's a big tough guy. He's fighting."

First thing he did was call Voight and filled him in. Voight told him to stay put and keep them informed. He offered to go and get his family but Adam had already decided that he was going to call Kim. Jordan and Vanessa were close to Kim; she'd been around them a long time and often had Vanessa over to stay. Zoe and V were now pretty tight friends. He also thought about Ella, he knew that they were going pretty strong despite Ella having some second thoughts about the whole cop thing; this wasn't going to help and he wasn't sure if he should call her just yet. It may be better to wait until he knew Kev was going to be okay.

"What the hell happened?" He asked Voight.

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Why was he alone, in the dark bleeding out?"

"Ruzek, focus on Atwater. Let me focus on the rest."

Adam took a deep breath and called Kim. "Hey. I wasn't expecting to hear from you til later." She sounded so bloody happy, she'd been good lately and he didn't want to pile this on her right now.

"Can you do me a favour?" The moment he opened his mouth Kim knew it wasn't a social call.

"What's happened?"

"I need you to go pick up Jordon and Vanessa and bring them to Med."

"Adam, what happened?"

"I don't know Kim, can you please just get the kids." He snapped and then exhaled deeply. "Sorry, Kevin's been stabbed. He's in surgery right now. I don't know what happened, he went in the back with Rixton, I was out front with Halstead." Kim noticed that his voice was shaking.

"Rixton? As in Kenny Rixton? What's he doing back at the 21st?"

"Narcotics called us in. Doesn't matter," He didn't want to get in it right now. If he started he wouldn't stop. "Can you help?"

"Of course. He's going to be okay, right?"

"I really hope so."

As soon as Vanessa saw Kim sitting in the school office she burst into tears. Jordan wasn't much better, he tried to be tough but he had always dreaded this day. She had talked to Adam again just before she got to the school to make sure she had the most up to date news. And that news was he was still in surgery. She assured them both that their brother was still with them but he was seriously hurt and the trip to the hospital was silent. Vanessa held Kim's hand tightly and she draped her arm over Jordan's shoulder as she led them upstairs.

Adam was up and out of his chair as soon as they came in and Vanessa bolted into his arms. She had a little bit of a crush on Adam and he knew it and would go out of his way to make Vanessa feel special. She was bullied at school a little because of her home life so the day Adam picked her up from school to shove it up the mean girl's asses had been great. "Hey." Adam hugged her tightly. "He's tough, you know he is. He's gonna fight like crazy."

Even Jordan was happy to get a hug from Adam. Vanessa dropped into the chair beside Adam and he slipped his arm around her shoulder as she rested her head on his chest, Jordan sat next to his sister and held her hand while Kim sat on the other side of Adam. It didn't take long until her hand found it's way to his thigh and she slid it down between his legs and found that little indent at the back of the knee, which she knew he liked. He smiled at her just a little before leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

He opened his eyes when he felt Kim dig her fingers in a little and then remove her hand and saw Al and Voight coming through the door. Kim jumped up and hugged Al; she hadn't seen him in a few weeks and they'd certainly developed a bond before she went out on furlough. Kim had been a shoulder for him to cry on over Lexi and he appreciated that she hadn't said a word to anyone about his darkest moments.

Voight looked a little pissed. "How's Kev?" Adam shook his head and told them there was no news. He crouched down in front of Vanessa.

"How are you sweetie?"

"I just want Kev to be okay." Voight was so gentle with her as he touched her cheek lightly; he was such a contradiction some days.

"He will be. He's got to annoy Adam for a long time yet." Jordan wasn't quite so receptive to Voight as his sister was but he did acknowledge him. Al took Adam's seat next to Vanessa while Voight beckoned Adam across the room out of earshot.

"Any news Boss? You figured out what went down?"

"Not yet, IA has stepped in. You need to get down to the Ivory Tower by ten tomorrow morning to be interviewed.

"Me, why?" Kim was watching them curiously. Something was going on but Adam refused to say anything so far. He kept shaking his head when Kim tried to ask him and it was obvious he wasn't about to talk in front of V and Jordan.

"You need to tell them your side of the story. When you heard Kev, what you did. You know the drill."

"What aren't you telling me?

"Ruzek, focus on this." He pointed to Kevin's siblings. "They need you to focus on them. That's what Kevin would want."

While Al and Voight stayed with the kids Adam took a moment to head outside and get some fresh air. Al nudged Kim and told her to go with him. "Find out if he's okay. You know him better than most."

Al had been more than happy to come along with Voight. He wanted to know what was going on in his head. "What's your gut say?" Rixton had shed very little light on what went down in that warehouse.

"My gut?" he laughed his gravelly laugh. "I don't think my gut has served me well lately."

"Okay, but just go with it now."

"You know Atwater would never have been over powered and stabbed in the back if they were covering each other. Why the hell is he bleeding out on the floor and only Ruzek, who was on the other side of the building at the time heard him and found him?"

"Good questions. I don't think you are going to like the answers though."

Voight laughed, somewhat painfully. "I already know I don't like the answer. Ruzek's not going to drop this."

"Nope."

Kim caught up with Adam as he was pacing back and forward along outside the hospital's front doors. They'd been through these doors so many times but it certainly never got any easier especially when you were so deeply connected to someone inside. He jumped a little when Kim touched his back. "Adam."

"Hey." He was so glad she was here and the look on his face told her that. "You following me?"

"Yes."

"Any news?"

"No, Adam you've been gone all of two minutes."

"I know, I know." He started pacing again. "This shouldn't be happening."

"What happened?"

"I don't know Kim, I don't fucking know." Adam hands were clenched tightly on behind his head when Kim got him to stop. She grabbed his shirt on either side of his waist and made him looked at her.

"Adam, talk to me."

Adam grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly as he pulled her along with him. He needed to walk. Kim knew this about him, when Adam was stressed he'd walk or run and they'd spent many an hour out pounding the pavement, but that was a long time ago but some things obviously never changed. "Kev and Rixton were partnered up today. Rixton came in and started ordering us around, reminding us that Kev and I are just rookies and I guess it was his case so we had to run with it." He shrugged. "They went in the back and I was out front with Halstead. Voight and Al were just behind us. They were sneaking in the back while we breached the front. We got in and took down two guys; I heard a voice and went looking. I don't know what I heard. Anyway Rixton came at us from the side and when we asked where Kev was he didn't know." Kim could see his mind churning. "He was near the back door, on the ground bleeding out. Kim, why didn't he know where Kev was?"

"What are you saying?"

"Think about it." he tapped one finger to his temple. "Kev's got two stab wounds to his back. What does that tell you?"

"Maybe they got separated. What did Kenny say?"

"That he heard a noise and that Kev didn't cover him. He's as dodgy as all shit, he's an arrogant prick. My old man didn't exactly seem overly impressed when I mentioned him, reckoned his belief in his own ability was always way above his actual experience. He thinks his shit don't stink, but man I am telling you, it's rank."

"Hey, just be smart Adam."

"Smart? I think we all know what's gone on here and I think we know what's going to happen now. Nothing."

"I think Voight will wait to talk to Kev."

"He'll cover his ass, you know he will. Voight won't want to admit this guy is bad news." He looked down at their hands, which were entwined and he was almost tempted to lift her hand to his lips and kiss them but he resisted the urge. Holding her hand was going far enough at the moment and when anyone could see them it took all his energy to stop himself. "We should get back."

"Did you call Ella?"

"Nope." They turned back towards the main entrance. "Kev was telling me yesterday that she was freaking out the other day because of work. He got roughed up in that raid." Kim knew exactly what raid he was talking about because they both came out of it a little worse for wear. "Anyway, Ella's not sure she can handle him getting hurt or worrying about him all the time."

"I thought things were going well?"

"They were, well I think they were. This just spooked her. I mean we got home at 4am looking like we'd been crawling round in the depths of hell for hours I don't think she knew what to think." Adam shrugged. These things just rolled off his back, he'd been here. Wendy had lost it a few times when he first joined Intelligence but when he was with Kim she just accepted that he'd get hurt, sure she'd worried about him but it never freaked her out. Being civilian didn't always shield you from the horrors they encountered and he wasn't sure Ella was prepared for it. "I thought maybe I'd wait until Kev's out of surgery before I call her. What'd you think?"

"Good idea." They reached the front of the hospital and Adam gave her hand a quick comforting squeeze before letting it go. "Just breathe Adam." He smiled sadly and put his hand in the centre of her back, he felt like he wasn't spinning quite so fast when she was close and ushered her through the door.

Adam sat back down with Vanessa and Jordan; he slipped his arm around V while Kim had a chat to Voight. "How's he doing?"

"He's okay, a little worried."

"Did he say anything?" Kim looked at her boss a little strangely. "I know he talks to you."

"Adam is just trying to figure out what happened out there today." Kim dropped her voice as she could see Adam looking at her. "He wants to know how Kevin ended up stabbed and I think he's focussed on that so he doesn't have to worry about what's going on in surgery."

"He needs to stay out of it right now. I am working on it. I need you to keep his head on straight, okay?"

Kim was left in no doubt that this wasn't just a friendly request from her boss; this was an order. It also left her in little doubt that something went wrong out there today and it wasn't just the fact hat Kevin was injured. "Yes Sarge." She nodded.


	7. Damn you Kevin Atwater

Adam nudged Vanessa, who had fallen asleep against his shoulder when he saw Connor Rhodes approaching. Jordan was up out of his seat already. "How's my brother?"

Adam stood between them both, his arms around each of them waiting to catch them if he needed too. He tried to read Connor's face but he was inscrutable, he'd perfected his poker face over the years. "He's in recovery. He's going to be fine." Adam let his head rolled back and exhaled slowly with relief, he didn't even realise he had been holding his breath until he felt it rush out of him before returning his attention to Connor. "We've repaired his kidney and the stab wound knicked his bowel but he's not in any immediate danger."

"Can we see him?" Vanessa burst into tears as soon as Connor told them he was going to be okay.

"In a few minutes, he's still in recovery but as soon as he's settled in his room we will come and get you."

"See I told you." Adam leant down and whispered in Vanessa's ear when and he wrapped her up in a bear hug. "He's going to be bugging us for a long time yet." He felt her body shake with her sobs. "Hey, hey. Come on now, Kevin is our big guy, he's not leaving us."

Jordan tried not to be affected by it all but Adam heard him sniff a few times. He squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay Jordy." He tried to be the tough kid, it was hard for him because his brother was a cop and people either didn't trust him or pressured him into doing stupid stuff to prove himself but he was a good kid that was just trying to find his own little part of the world.

Adam took them through when they called. He stood at the door and let Vanessa and Jordan see their brother. Vanessa was sobbing against his chest while Jordan looked uncomfortable but held Kevin's hand tightly. "Hey, I'm good, I'm all good." He kept telling them. He looked relatively small in the hospital bed, which was no mean feat. Atwater was anything but small.

"Thanks for bringing them in." Vanessa and Jordan perched themselves beside Kev and he finally nodded for Adam to come in.

"No worries Kev, Burgess went and picked them up."

"Burgess is here?" He tried to smile but it was a struggle, he really felt like shit and hurt like hell but he was trying not to freak the kids out. Adam could see it; there was no way he wanted them to worry anymore than they already were so he was trying to suck it up but each breath was a struggle at the moment. He spent a lot of time trying to shield them from life's harsh lessons and this was one of them.

"She's outside."

"Can you get her to come in?"

"I love you too Bro." Adam muttered. "I've been sitting here worrying about your sorry ass all day and all you want to do is see Burgess?"

"I'm injured and I want to see her pretty face, not yours."

"You are obviously fine." Adam grumbled as he retreated to the waiting room and sent Burgess in.

Kevin really just wanted Kim to do two things for him. He wanted Kim to keep an eye on Jordan and Vanessa. "I know it's a lot to ask with everything you've got going on with Nicole and Zoe but I worry about them and Ruzek together. He can barely look after himself, can you just make sure he doesn't lose them or starve them to death."

"We don't need babysitting." Jordan protested.

"I know you don't, but Vanessa needs protecting from the disaster that might just be Ruz."

Kim promised to keep an eye on them. Adam had already told her that he was going to stay with them and he'd looked at her funny when she laughed. This was going to be fun; watching Adam try and get two other people organised in the mornings when he struggled to get himself to work in a reasonable state was going to keep everyone amused.

Secondly Kevin wanted Kim to tell Ella. Adam had already told him that they hadn't called her yet because he wanted to know that his buddy was going to be okay first. "She'll freak out completely. You need to tell her that I am fine, she'll listen to you. Ruz will be too blunt, she might need a softer touch."

"You really don't think he's capable of anything do you?"

"No."

She never quite understood how people trusted Adam with their life yet thought he was completely incapable of looking after himself or anyone else for that matter. "He's taken good care of Vanessa and Jordan today."

"Just busting his balls, you know that. I just think Ella might be freaked out and need a bit more of a gentle touch."

She took Vanessa and Jordan out when Voight came in and sent them down to the cafeteria with Adam to get something to eat. They'd been at the hospital for hours with nothing to eat or drink. Voight was on a mission and wanted to talk to Kevin about what happened out there today before anyone else started getting in his head about it. He knew that Ruzek would start asking him at the first opportunity.

"I should have followed Rixton. He went one way and I just wanted to check out the area we were in and he noticed the room off to the side, if anyone was going to be hiding it would be in there so he went and I scoped the area ahead of me but before I could turn back I felt this white hot pain shooting through me. Did you get the guy?"

"Yep, Ruzek and Halstead got him after he stabbed you." Voight scratched his neck. "Who made the call to split up?"

"We didn't really talk about it, it just happened that way."

To say Voight was satisfied would be an understatement but Atwater was giving up nothing else.

Kim made the call to Ella; she grabbed the number from Kevin's phone before she left. "Is he okay?" Ella literally screamed down the phone. Her heart had started racing as soon as Kim identified herself and she knew that something had happened to Kevin. There was no other reason for his friend to be calling her; they'd only ever met once.

"He is, he's out of surgery, worrying about you instead of himself and annoying everyone."

Kim went on to explain Kevin's injuries and his surgery. "I think he'd really like to see you, he's trying to act tough but I know him, he's hurting."

"What about Jordan and Vanessa?"

"They are here right now. We'll be taking them home soon, they've been here all day."

Kim could hear Ella starting to waiver a little. "Ella, I know this is a shock and I know you are struggling a little with Kevin being a cop but he really cares about you, I can tell and I think you know it and feel it too. Just come and talk to him."

"I have Mavis with me. I need to call her father and see if he can take her." She promised to call Kim back and let her know if she could organise something for Mavis. The last thing she wanted to do was bring her into the hospital, she wasn't ready for that yet and she just needed a moment to think and breathe.

When Ella finally turned up, Adam was up and out of his chair and embracing her the instant she came in. She looked terrified. She'd met Jay and Kim and Adam but had only heard about the rest of the team and the room was full of cops when she came in. "Are you okay?" Adam could feel her reluctance.

"I am. How's Kevin?"

"Well he'll be happy to see you. Jordan and Vanessa are in with him at the moment. We'll take them home and leave you to listen to his whining."

"I don't think I can stay long."

Adam rubbed her arms lightly. He knew how much Kev liked this girl, dare he say that he even was in love with her and he was pretty keen to make sure that Ella didn't give that up. "Hey. Kevin's going to be okay. I get that this is confronting but put all that aside and just think for a minute about Kev the guy who I know you've been spending time with and you are both loving that, not Kev the cop."

"Adam. This is too much."

"Just go talk to Kevin. Go see him please."

"Are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"He's whining and annoying, yes Ella he is going to be okay."

Adam took her down the Kevin's room and beckoned the kids away, telling them to say goodbye and they'd be back in the morning. Kevin hugged both of them before they left and told them not to give Ruzek a hard time and he'd be checking up on them. Everyone could see how much he was struggling with his pain and just being weary after the surgery although his face certainly did light up when Ella came in. She stood back nervously until the room was clear.

"Hey Babe." Kevin lifted his hand. "Come here." As she slipped her hand into his Kevin lifted it to his dry cracked lips, kissing them before tugging on her arm and pulling her down so he could really kiss her. "I'm okay." He whispered, sensing her reluctance.

A tear splashed down her cheek onto Kevin's. "This scares me."

"I know, but this is nothing."

"It's not nothing Kev. You've been stabbed."

"Could be worse."

"I'm not sure." He tightened his grip on her hand, suddenly feeling that if he let go she was going to slip out of his fingers and disappear out of his life. He didn't want her to go.

"Just sit with me, just for a bit." He begged and Ella pulled up a chair and rested her head on the bed near his hip. Kevin stroked the side of her face lightly and he felt her tears. "Don't cry Baby."

"I'm scared Kevin." She squeezed her eyes closed.

"What scares you?"

"That one day you won't come home."

"That could happen to any one of us, I can't stop doing my job because I'm worried about getting hurt. If I do that, if I hesitate then I might get to come home but Ruzek won't, or Halstead or Burgess and I couldn't live with myself if that happened. So I have to keep doing my job and not worrying about the what ifs." That drove Kevin more than anything, he loved his job and helping people but on those days were it was tough, when you saw people doing shit that just made you lose a little bit of faith in humanity the thought that he had to keep going because other people relied on him to get home to their loved ones every single night. Voight had drummed that into them from the start. 'Everybody goes home at night.'

"That's easy for you, you are not taking phone calls from someone you hardly know telling you that you are in surgery after being stabbed."

"Can I take that this has freaked you out so much to mean that you care?"

"Of course I care." Ella's head snapped up.

"Good, because Ella Baby, I love you." He expected her to smile; he didn't expect her to burst into tears.

"Damn you, Kevin Atwater." And he certainly didn't expect her to run from the room.


	8. Run Like Hell

Why did she run? Turn back, she willed herself but her head was telling her to run and her heart was breaking.

As the hospital doors slid open the warm air suddenly felt stifling as she took a deep breath, trying to get some air into her lungs. A trickle of sweat ran down her temple and she flicked it away angrily as she ran for her car.

Slamming her hand into the steering wheel she winced at the jarring pain that shot up her arm. "Why?"

Kevin was just trying to breath, every time he inhaled the pain shot through him. Even though he was doped up on pain meds he knew telling her right now how he felt was a risk. Lately, while things had been good, great even Ella was struggling with his job but he hoped that telling her that he loved her might make it easier for her.

This hurt though, more than the three stab wounds in his back, more than the pain from lying on a cold warehouse floor and feeling the life drain out of him. It hurt because it had been a long time since he actually felt something anywhere close to love and she'd ran and he didn't know what to do or think. He also couldn't do a damn thing about it, he couldn't run after her, he couldn't knock on her door and demand to talk, he couldn't kiss her or love her and tell her that its going to be okay. He called her and it went straight to voice mail. He'd fucked it up and it hurt.

So he asked for some more pain meds and let the buzz numb his mind and drift off to sleep.

When he woke the room was dark. Reaching for his phone he smiled at the video message from Vanessa, showing him the burgers they were eating for dinner. He could see Jordan and Adam having a burger eating competition and more importantly he heard Kim laughing in the background. He knew that they'd be together, even if it was just helping each other out with his family because they were his family too. The fact that Vanessa and Jordan looked happy was comforting.

That message was nice, as was the one from Antonio and another one from Halstead, they just weren't the messages he wanted.

Ella had gone and picked up Mavis. She needed her to distract her but all it did was bring back memories and remind her of Kevin. They'd finally agreed to meet all the kids and Mavis was a little shy at first but Kevin soon had her hanging off him. He was imposing to such a little girl and Kevin got down on his knees and played beside her until Mavis worked up her courage and started talking to him. Now she would squeal and clap her hands whenever she saw him and the sight of Kevin squatting down whenever Mavis wanted to talk to him and the smile on both their faces made her heart swell.

Vanessa had been sweet with her and Mavis was soon following her around the house like a puppy. Jordan would talk to her, somewhat reluctantly in his own sweet sixteen year old way and they'd watched movies together but he rarely talked to Ella. Mavis loved being around them all, perhaps it would have been easier if they didn't like Mavis because Ella could have walked away. But they didn't, they loved her and she was always so happy to see them.

Every time he walked out the door to go to work, she worried. Did she want to live like this, could she live like this?

The hardest thing for Ella to get her head around though was that she did love him, she'd tried not to fall in love with him but it was impossible. It was an irresistible pull and Kevin treated her like she walked on water and it had been a long time since she felt like someone looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world.

"Good Morning Sunshine." Adam barrelled through the door bright and early. He dumped a bag next to the bed. "I bought your laptop, I know you like doing shit on that, some real clothes and bits a pieces. Although going through your closet was a trip I never want to take again."

"Thanks Bro. How'd V & Jordan?" He was looking so much better than yesterday, not quite so pale and his pain was under control and when he smiled it was looking less like a grimace. One thing was for certain though, he wanted out of here and being told he had a few more days on lying here feeling useless had not helped his mood.

Adam unpacked his bag a little, putting his laptop on the side table and plugged in his phone to charge. "Good, good. Burgess will bring them in on the way to school." It was still way to early and Adam needed to get into work and get some paperwork filed before his interview at the Ivory Tower at ten.

"Burgess?"

"She's much better at this early morning kid shit than I am. And I have to get into work."

"Thanks for looking out for them."

"No probs Bro. How you feeling today anyway?"

"Like shit man, like utter shit."

"Being stabbed in the back a few times tends to do that, or so I heard."

"You know I am starting to think it's you that's the problem." Kevin laughed a little and started to cough and the pain it caused was alarming. "I've been stabbed, Burgess copped some lead and you just keep skating through."

Adam tapped the side of his head. "That's because I'm smart." Again Kevin tried not to laugh. "Speaking of smart. How's Ella doing?"

"Don't know." He looked at his phone again and it still gave him nothing. Adam noticed his sudden change of tone; Kev was whipped by this girl and Adam couldn't be happier. Maybe one of them would actually get their shit in one pile and make a go of it.

Adam pulled up a chair and popped his feet up on the side of the bed. He had a few minutes before he had to leave. "What'd you do?"

"Coming from you?" Kevin snorted. " You going to tell me how to handle my woman?"

Adam held up his hands. "Whoa, sorry Bro. I was just asking. I know she's a bit freaked out."

"Yeah, well. She freaked out completely and I haven't seen or heard from her since."

"Sucks Man, you want me to talk to her?"

"You? Can you stop making me laugh, it fucking hurts."

"Okay, Burgess then."

"Nah, she's gotta do what she's gotta do."

"Women." Adam scoffed. "They do our fucking heads in, why can't we stay away?"

"Because they make us better people."

Adam had been told in no uncertain terms that he was not allowed to discuss what happened yesterday with Kevin until after they had both been interviewed. Al had told him, Voight had called him specifically last night to tell him and Kim had begged him. There were times that he was quite happy to stand up to Voight but this was not one of them. However, he had told Kim, if he thought that the truth was being bent or swept under a rug in anyway he would say something, but until then it was by the book.

Ruzek looked at his phone and groaned. "Gotta Go. Ivory Tower."

"Are you good?"

"Sweet as." He gave Kev a fist bump on the way out and told him to behave. "I will ask the nurses when I come back and if you treat them like shit I will kick your ass. They are just doing their jobs."

Kevin was happy to see Vanessa and Jordan before Burgess took them to school. It was only a brief visit but Vanessa just wanted to see her brother and know that he was okay and they'd be back after school and Kim promised them that they would bring something in for dinner. Voight dropped in, as did Halstead and Al. The only person he wanted to see hadn't shown her face, returned a call or a message.

Just after lunch he was interviewed by IA. "Can you step us through the minutes before you were injured?"

"I went in first, we stuck close to the wall. We saw the doorway to the left and Rixton went through to clear it, I kept going, we just needed to check out around the corner and then I was going to double back and back up Rixton. I took about four or five steps and then I felt a sudden pain in my back."

"Why didn't you cover your partner's back?"

"There was a risk either way. We went through that door together and this guy could have still ambushed us or been waiting for Halstead and Ruzek out front. He could have been armed with more than a knife for all we knew."

They drilled him for a good two hours and Atwater, as expected threw nobody under the bus. Ruzek wasn't quite so politically correct with his take on events. This guy had rubbed him the wrong way, he'd fucked up and his best mate and partner was left to bleed out on a filthy warehouse floor and if he hadn't heard his desperate cry the outcome could have been so much worse and that's what pissed Ruzek off the most. So he let them have his unfiltered version of events.

Rixton, he had no doubts gave his own version of events so it was Ruzek's word against the two who were actually there. Halstead admitted that he was surprised that Rixton didn't know where Kevin was but neither of them were talking. It was deemed a joint failure of to follow procedure and they were both deemed to have failed to follow protocol and that was it. That pissed Adam off big time and he made sure everyone knew it.

Burgess pulled him aside in the bullpen when he started mouthing off. Voight looked like he was about to explode, he was behaving like a child. Ever since he got back from the Ivory Tower he'd been in a foul mood. She dragged him down the hall and into the change room and slammed the door behind them. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that Kev is in hospital and Rixton just waltzes out of here with not even a backward glance?" Adam waved his hands around angrily.

"Yes we are." Kim was about the only person he was going to listen to and not fire right back. He'd already blown up at Antonio and Halstead. It was either going to be Kim or Al that pulled him up and Kim was closest. "Right now that's exactly what we are going to do. I get you are pissed, but Adam you weren't there. Kev backed up Kenny's version of events so you need to move on."

"Kev nearly died Kim."

"I know, but he didn't. And I can tell you one thing, I am not going out on those streets again with you if you don't get your head out of your ass and let it go, nobody wants to work with you right now. I don't want to not trust you."

That was like a slap in the face. "Wow."

"So?" Kim wasn't putting up with his shit. "Are you good?"

He glared at her and eventually nodded. "We're good."

Kim rested a hand on his cheek. "Good. Now let's go." She held it there until he nodded. "By the way, I told Kev you'd smuggle in some burgers tonight."

"Of course you did." He forced himself to smile. Kim checked again that he was alright and she gave him a minute when he asked to catch his breath, splash some water on his face and shake off his bad mood. He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment and chastised himself. '_Get your shit together Adam.'_

Adam dropped the bag of burgers on the tray. "Here's your contraband." He was happy to see Kev sitting up and looking more like himself.

"From that joint up the road from my place?"

Adam scoffed. "Like I am going to drive half way across town for your god damn burgers."

"Hey, I almost died."

"Almost, but you didn't." He dragged the chair out of the corner and threw himself down and his feet up on the bed.

"How'd you go today?"

"I said my bit, you said yours and Rixton said his. I guess it's done."

"You okay?"

"Yep. I'm good." Adam didn't want to talk about it. He didn't agree with any of it but he couldn't change a thing so there was no point wasting time and energy on it. He had to settle for knowing that next time Rixton came to Intelligence looking for help he'd be told to take a hike. "Hey, heard from Ella?"

"Crickets man, crickets."


End file.
